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I can give up smoking, dope, and booze - but not chocolate. Seriously - I'm letting a piece of Organic and fairly traded VERY DARK chocolate from "small-scale co-ops in Latin America" melt in my mouth as I write this... Thank God for chocolate! In moderation of course.
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So anyway - I went to first Mass at St. Agnes this morning - ah! How I miss attending Mass there. The church is beautiful as usual, and I will say right now, I don't care how big the statues are - they fit! The pastor, Fr. Ubel is pretty much the perfect parish priest as far as I'm concerned. His homilies are excellent and lively, his decorum gentlemanly and elegant, his celebration of Mass ad orientem is faithful and reverent - without ostentation. He's a wonderful priest and pastor - St. Agnes is fortunate to have such a fine, well-balanced priest.
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I must say a special thanks to Lee, who returned a book - obviously waiting to do so for over a year, since that is how long it's been since I've been to Mass there - and a big thanks and promise of my prayers for his gift of Bishop Van Thuan's book which he included.
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This morning I left the church feeling everything is okay. How can I say that, what with everything going on in the world, in the Church? I don't know... but I felt great peace. There was something reassuring in Father's homily - he was reassuring. He wasn't railing from the pulpit, condemning anti-Catholics - he spoke of Our Lady, Regina Coeli, of joy and peace... and I don't know what else right now - but his homily seemed to me to have been formulated in prayer, and spoken from his heart. And his smile was real... I sensed a wonderful freedom of spirit at St. Agnes today. It remains the same church, however it felt fresh if you will, or perhaps renewed is a better word.
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I think the cult effect is gone... Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
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Photo: Juliette Binoche, Chocolat
Terry--Happy Easter! The first thing I did after Mass was, yep, dark chocolate. How funny. When I left Church, I found a note on my car: " Next time watch where you park. it is disrespectful to park so close havng space in front. I will communicate this with Cathedral Church". In another world, another time, I would have been upset. Now I know, the world has not change, but my heart has. He is risen! I got a job. Was hired on the spot on Holy Thursday. Isn't God good?
ReplyDeleteA blessed and glorious Easter to you, dear Terry!
ReplyDeleteMaria, congratulations!! God is GOOD indeed! Alleluiah! :)
I'm from the Cities, but I go to school in Fargo. I've never been to St. Agnes, but I looked up the parish after reading your post. Are all the Masses said ad orientem?
ReplyDeleteTerry: Glad that your Easter Sunday Mass was filled with such joy and hope!
ReplyDeleteAs for the chocolate...I have been an awful chocolate addict...but the stuff just does a "number" on my stomach anymore that it just makes me sick to think of it...and there is a bunch of it "waiting" for me!
Eventually, I'll give in and make myself sick...I have to learn moderation (he says with clenched teeth:<)!)...it's either nothing or everything for me...
maybe I shoudda been a Carmelite:<)!
Blessing to you, brother!
You make my day, EVERY day!!
A blessed Easter Sunday to you Terry. Renewed is a wonderful word. It is what revisionists, Catholic 'progressives' and Protestants may never understand about the beauty, Tradition and holiness of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. While many of her members are not holy or blessed the Church is who she will always be, a holy and blessed Bride bringing us the sacraments of Christ.
ReplyDeleteFor me the pinnacle was last night, seeing six souls come home at Easter Vigil and each of them young adults and four of them converts. There is a future and a hope. Truly, Christ is risen.
P.S. Nice to be picking up with you again after a lenten break.
Norm - yes indeed - all the Masses are that way.
ReplyDeleteOwen - I missed you happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteGeorgette - I miss you - happy Easter.
Maria - congratulations on the new job - praise God!
Father - thanks so much for your prayers and friendship - happy Easter.
Happy Easter again to all my readers.
Juliette Binoche or Michelle Bachmann??? For a minute you had me scratching my head...
ReplyDeleteMarie--congrats on the job!! Will pray that you get settled in ok..the first couple of weeks are always crazy, figuring out the lay of the land and who you're supposed to suck up to :)
ReplyDeleteSara
Happy Easter, Terry and everyone!
ReplyDeleteMaria, good luck on the new job!
Sara-- Ha! The sucking up dept--never my area of expertise; however, after--as Terry would say--many "risings and fallings"--I have, please God, learned humility and obedience. Thank you, Sara. It is a great post on an in-patient psychiatry unit at a well known hospital in DC. Hired on the spot on Holy Thursday. He answered my forever begging prayers!
ReplyDeleteMelody--Thanks much.
Marie--you're in DC?? I saw Fox News Sunday this morning and it looked like the cherry blossoms are out..so pretty...nothing even close to blooming here yet other than a couple of brave daffodils...although I noticed a couple of my trees have small buds on them...but we can get freezing clear up until June..rule of thumb here is that you don't put out tomatoes until after Memorial Day...
ReplyDeleteCongrats again!! When do you start??
Sara
Hi Sara: I am now home from my first day of work. I am in Baltimore btw; however, I grew up in DC. All native Washingtonians just hate this time of year b/c of tourists but the cherry blossoms are indeed in bloom. Washington is at its finest in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteTerry--gave up booze, dope, and cigarettes?? Sounds like a stint in rehab rather than Lent.. :)
ReplyDeleteSara
Marie--glad to hear that you survived the first day..I was in DC during August 97..pretty warm then..but did all the tourist stuff including getting lost in Arlington Cemetery with no water...one of these days I'll get back and see more...neat waking right up to the White House..I bet you can't do THAT nowadays...
ReplyDeleteSara
walking, not waking :)
ReplyDeleteSara